1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to medical equipment and in particular to drivers for mounting an anchor device that include a suture that is secured to the anchor and is maintained in the driver, the driver for use in deploying the anchor device into a bone for maintaining a section of soft tissue thereto.
2. Prior Art
Driver devices for use for both positioning an anchor or fastener or the like that includes a suture secured thereto onto a bone surface location whereat a section of soft tissue, or the like, is to be attached are well known. A number of earlier inventions of one of the present inventors show anchor drivers. For example, such a driver is shown in a U.S. Patent to E. Marlowe Goble, U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,100, that involves a driver arranged for mounting an anchor on a forward end thereof, with a suture connected to the anchor rear end that is contained in a driver center longitudinal cavity. Additionally, several of the applicants have filed U.S. patent applications for an Anchor Driver, Ser. No. 08/225,768, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,506 and a Suture Anchor and Driver Combination, Ser. No. 08/225,791, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,523 that involve anchor and driver combinations and provide for maintaining a suture within the driver body. Unlike these devices, however, the present invention is in a driver that is arranged to receive and mount an anchor to a distal end thereof and provides for conveniently threading a suture extending from which anchor rear end through and along the driver body, and for maintaining that suture to the driver body while the driver is driven to deploy the anchor into a bone or bone-like material. Whereafter, the driver of the invention is easily separated from the anchor, with the suture connected to the anchor rear end easily released therefrom.
A use of the anchor and driver of the above cited U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,100 is shown in another patent to one of the inventors, U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,426. Additionally, other patents to one of the present inventors, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,738,255 and 5,013,316, illustrate other driver and anchor combinations. Further, a number of combinations of anchors and drivers some of which include arrangements for capturing, maintaining and fitting sutures extending from seated anchors are shown in U.S. Pat Nos. 4,779,616; 4,946,468; 5,071,420; 5,100,417; 5,102,421; 5,139,520; 5,207,679; 5,211,650; 5,224,946; 5,236,445; and 5,258,016. None of which patents as cited above, however, involve a loader and driver combination that is like that of the invention that provides for rapidly and conveniently fitting an anchor mounted suture therethrough and for maintaining that suture to the driver body as the driver is driven so as to deploy the anchor into a bone.